Asiyah (עשיה) — the World of Action

Core definition

Asiyah is the lowest of the four worlds — Atzilus (Emanation), Beriah (Creation), Yetzirah (Formation), Asiyah (Action) — and specifically the world of action: the realm where Divine light descends into physicality, where the revelation is most concealed, and where human avodah (Torah and mitzvos performed in physical form) effects the completion of the cosmic purpose. In Atzilus "illuminates the Divine revelation"; in Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah "it does not" — what is grasped of Divinity there is only the existence of Divinity, not, as in Atzilus, "the revelation of Divinity's essence" [58835/maamar_017 :: Chunk summary (עמוד 108)]. Asiyah is thus the farthest point of the descent — and correspondingly the site where the lowest, physical deed reaches highest.

How the Rebbeim develop it

Asiyah and the descent from Atzilus. The ten sefiros' vessels' exteriority is what is drawn into Beriah-Yetzirah-Asiyah: "from Chochmah's vessel's exteriority is drawn to be Chochmah in Beriyah-Yetzirah-Asiyah; from Chesed's exteriority, Chesed in Beriyah-Yetzirah-Asiyah, etc." [58845/maamar_010 :: Summary (עמוד קז)]. What is drawn "literally" is only the vessel's exteriority; the interiority, all the more so the essential light, is not drawn there, though it is "for Beriah-Yetzirah-Asiyah's need" [58845/maamar_010 :: Summary (עמוד קח)]. Atzilus as a whole is "only what mediates between the Ein Sof and Beriah-Yetzirah-Asiyah": because "impossible the yesh's existence of Beriah-Yetzirah-Asiyah from the light of Ein Sof itself," Atzilus is needed first — "Divinity, yet lights clothed in vessels literally — limited vessels limiting the light" — so that through it "revelation in Beriah-Yetzirah-Asiyah" becomes possible [58845/maamar_010 :: Summary (עמוד קז)]. Malchus of Atzilus is "the source of Beriah-Yetzirah-Asiyah," and the refinement of Asiyah's sparks ascends to and is included in Malchus [58835/maamar_049 :: §149].

Asiyah and the birurim (refinements). The worlds of tikkun "were built from the broken vessels of Tohu," and the refinement of those vessels is graded: "what the choicest was made Atzilus, and afterwards Beriyah-Yetzirah-Asiyah"; the sparks of Tohu "fell in Nogah of Asiyah," and their refinement proceeds from the lowest point upward: "the world of physical Asiyah is in the manner of refinement from below to above specifically" [58835/maamar_049 :: §101–149]. The sparks of Nogah of Asiyah "ascend and are included above" — this is the cosmic tikkun worked from the bottom of the chain [58835/maamar_049 :: §145–146].

Asiyah in avodah: the place of dira batachtonim. The corpus repeatedly anchors the purpose of creation — "the Holy One, blessed be He, desired a dwelling in the lower realms" (נתאווה הקב״ה להיות לו דירה בתחתונים) — in Asiyah's physicality: the dwelling is built "through the service in the Torah and mitzvos as they came in Asiyah's world in physicality specifically" [58845/maamar_010 :: line 758]. As in the Temple parallel, the Mikdash's "dwellings above" are Atzilus and the worlds of Beriah-Yetzirah-Asiyah, with the courtyard corresponding to the three lower worlds [58835/maamar_049 :: §169–186]. And the highest light is drawn precisely through the lowest avodah: Yackov's work refined the "mayin nukvin of Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah" and drew from the Kesser's inwardness — "the higher, the lower it descends" [58835/maamar_017 :: Chunk summary (עמוד 108)].

Asiyah's souls and angels. The souls and angels of the lower worlds belong to Asiyah's register: "the neshamahs of Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah" are called "seed of beast" (like Beriah's angels, called "beasts and living creatures") — they possess comprehension, but only daas tachton, the lower daas that joins the intellect to the emotions [58835/maamar_017 :: Chunk summary (עמוד 108); 31695/maamar_012 :: עב׳ 528].

Key distinctions

Asiyah vs. Atzilus. In Atzilus the essence of the Divine revelation illuminates; in Asiyah (with Beriah and Yetzirah) only the existence of Divinity is grasped. Atzilus is "Divinity" — light and vessel in unity — while Asiyah is the world of created, separate existence, receiving only from the vessels' exteriority [58835/maamar_017 :: Chunk summary (עמוד 108); 58845/maamar_010 :: Summary (עמוד קז)].

Spiritual Asiyah vs. physical Asiyah. The corpus distinguishes levels within Asiyah itself: the refinement of the broken vessels fell first "to the place of the world of spiritual Asiyah" and only then was "the world of Asiyah" made, with physical Asiyah refined "from below to above" [58835/maamar_049 :: §125–142].

Asiyah as end of the chain. "Yackov is the middle bar, bolting from end to end — from the highest end to the lowest end": the drawing from the highest reaches down even into Asiyah, the lowest end [58835/maamar_017 :: Chunk summary (עמוד 108)].

Related concepts

Beriah, Yetzirah (the two worlds above Asiyah); Atzilus (the world whose vessels' exteriority feeds Asiyah); Malchus (the source of Beriah-Yetzirah-Asiyah); Nogah (the kelipah whose Asiyah-fallen sparks are refined); Tohu and the broken vessels (the raw material of tikkun); Dirah batachtonim (the purpose realized through avodah in Asiyah's physicality).

Sources